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Actions

Actions let you execute commands and control your systems directly from the Zelos App. They provide interactive parameter execution options and display results, making it easy to control devices, run diagnostics, or trigger automated processes locally or remotely.

Overview

Actions are functions exposed by your Zelos Agent that can be executed remotely through the app. They appear in the sidebar tree where you can drag them to create interactive control panels with custom parameters and real-time results.

Key Features

  • Interactive Parameters - Rich inputs with parameter validation
  • Real-time Execution - Run commands on connected systems
  • Result Display - View responses directly in the panel
  • Parameter Persistence - Settings saved in layouts

Live Mode Only

Actions require an active connection to a Zelos Agent. They are not available when viewing trace files.

Using Actions

Finding Actions

Actions appear in the sidebar when connected to an agent:

  1. Connect to an agent - Establish a live connection
  2. Open Actions Pane - Click the Actions icon in the sidebar
  3. Browse the tree - Actions are organized by namespace
  4. Search - Use the search box to find specific actions

Creating an Action Panel

To use an action:

  1. Add an Action panel - Click Add Panel in the timeline toolbar, then select Action
  2. Drag an action - Drop any action from the tree onto the panel
  3. Configure parameters - Fill in the required fields
  4. Execute - Click the Execute button, or press Enter when Enter to Execute is enabled
  5. View results - Response appears below the parameters

Action Organization

Namespace Structure

Actions are organized hierarchically:

📁 Namespace
  └── 📁 Category (optional)
      └── ⚡ Action

Example organization:

  • power/set_voltage - Power control action
  • diagnostics/self_test/memory - Nested diagnostic action
  • gpio/read_pin - GPIO operation

Tree Navigation

  • Expand/collapse folders with arrow icons
  • Drag actions directly to panels
  • Search filters the tree to matching actions
  • Empty folders appear grayed out

Parameter Types

Actions support various parameter types with appropriate UI widgets:

Type Widget Purpose
Text Text field, textarea Strings, names, IDs
Number Number input, slider Numeric values
Boolean Checkbox, toggle On/off states
Select Dropdown, radio Predefined choices
Date Date picker Date selection
File File upload File inputs

Dynamic Parameters

Some actions have dynamic parameters that change based on other inputs:

  • Dependent fields - Show/hide based on conditions
  • Dynamic choices - Options update based on context
  • Validation - Real-time input validation

Execution & Results

Running Actions

Action panels support two execution modes:

  • Button (default) - Fill parameters, then click the Execute button
  • Enter to Execute - Execute by pressing Enter instead of clicking a button

In both modes, parameter edits still drive dynamic schema updates first. This allows dependent fields and required inputs to resolve normally before execution happens.

Result Display

Results appear below the parameters:

Result features:

  • JSON formatting - Structured, readable output
  • Expandable sections - Collapse/expand nested data
  • Copy button - Copy entire result to clipboard
  • Error display - Clear error messages if action fails

Execution States

Action panels show different states:

  • Ready - Parameters configured, ready to execute
  • Executing - Action running (with spinner)
  • Success - Result displayed
  • Error - Error message shown
  • Timeout - Action exceeded time limit

Panel Settings

Configure Action panels through settings:

Display Options

Panel Title

Custom title for the panel. Defaults to the action path.

Show Title & Description

Toggle display of action metadata above the parameters.

Enter to Execute

Press Enter to execute instead of using a button.

Inline Button

Place the button beside inputs instead of below. Only available when Enter to Execute is off.

Layout Columns

Number of columns for parameter layout (1-12).

Request Timeout

Maximum execution time in seconds (default: 30).

Action Settings

Action panel configuration options.

📚 View More

Pro Tip

Combine Action panels with Plot and Value panels to create complete control dashboards. Use Actions to trigger changes and visualize the results in real-time.